Putin on brink as elites turn against him and say they are ‘profoundly disappointed’ | World | News
The political elite around Vladimir Putin are increasingly disappointed with the Russian President, who is approaching the most difficult period of his career. As Russia continues the costly war it waged against Ukraine four years ago, interviews with several people in the Russian leader’s orbit show that the elite is quickly becoming disillusioned with both the faltering war and the economic crisis at home.
The perception that Putin’s “meaningless” decisions isolate the leader is increasing. One well-connected business leader said: Guard: “There has definitely been a change in the mood of the elite this year… There is deep disappointment in Putin.” He added that there was a “growing sense that some kind of disaster was approaching.”
“No one believes that everything will suddenly collapse tomorrow,” the source said. “But there is a growing awareness that utterly pointless, self-destructive decisions continue to be made. The people who once defended Putin no longer do so. Any sense of future has disappeared.”
Putin’s approval ratings are weakening, economic difficulties are mounting, and even traditionally staunchly pro-Kremlin commentators are beginning to express disappointment.
However, despite these pressures, sources close to the Kremlin say that Putin’s attitude towards the war in Ukraine has not changed. The Russian leader is still determined to pursue his military goals, according to European and Ukrainian intelligence officials as well as some people familiar with internal discussions.
Putin has told his inner circle that he believes Russian forces could capture the entire Donbas region before the end of the year, two people familiar with Putin’s thinking said. “The focus remains strictly on Donbas,” a source said. “He has no intention of stepping back until he achieves this goal.” According to military analysts, at the current rate of progress, it may take years for Russia to completely capture Donbas.
Last month, Ukraine liberated more territory than Russia had seized, resulting in Moscow’s so-called net loss of territory. This is the first since Ukraine launched an attack on the southern Russian Kursk region in August 2024, according to the US-based conflict monitor the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to The Guardian, it remains unclear to what extent Russia’s military and security services present an overly optimistic picture to Putin. “Even if many people around him understand the reality of the situation, we still don’t know what Putin himself understands. That’s the hardest part,” said a senior European intelligence official.
Another reason why Putin turned to the fight is that the Russian leader has lost faith in Russia. Donald TrumpThe ability to force Kiev to surrender territory as part of the deal, according to a source close to Putin and another involved in back-channel talks.
For now, the Kremlin’s priority remains seizing Donbas, and Russian officials have signaled that Moscow may consider peace talks once that goal is achieved. But people close to Putin say his goals could expand if Ukraine’s defenses weaken, allowing Russian forces to move beyond the Dnipro River and seize remaining territory in the four regions Moscow claims by 2022. This is because, as one source stated, Putin is not a long-term strategist, but someone whose “appetite increases as he eats”.
